GB.18 WWII Heavy Hitters 2 Introduction

[Vic Balshaw]

The next Group Build will soon be upon us and judging from another thread there is already a lot of interest out there. So to reiterate the content of this build, here are the official details.

Start Date:
Wednesday, 1st May 2013
Finish Date:
Sunday, September 1st 2013.
Title:
Heavy Hitters of WWII, Allied or Axis, Single to Multi-engine.
Theme:
Bombers, dive bombers, tank busters, ground attack, anything that delivers a heavy punch

If anybody has any concerns, comments or thoughts, here is the place to put them.

It's a great and popular theme and I'm hoping to see some interesting builds.

 

[Wayne Little]

I finally have a "Push" to build one of my Mistel combos...don't get much heavier than that...

 

[Lucky13]

True Master Wayne, you don't get more bang for you money than that!
Got one of them Dragon kits as well in 1/48, where they mistook a ladder behind a machine, for upward firing guns on the Fw 190....

 

[woljags]

having never done a heavy hitters group build before can i ask whats maybe a daft question to some,do they need to be built during the second world war or can it be if they were used during the same dates but a prewar design

 

[Airframes]

Well Bob, the GB title states "of World War 2", so they'd have to be in service at some point during that period.
As I have to get a 1/32nd scale Ju88 done for the museum in Slavicin, Czech Republic, I'll probably enter this in the GB - waiting another two weeks shouldn't hurt, and it's a kick up the Rs to get me back to the bench!

 

[meatloaf109]

I have a Ju-87, and two B-24's, one in 1/72 and one in1/48. I will choose one of them to enter. Then if I get it done, I will enter another. The last G.B. I only got one done, I ran out of time for my other entries and that really pains me. I hate not making a deadline, so I will be sure not to over-reach in the future.

 

[Catch22]

I'm taking the same approach Paul, entering a 1/32 Avenger, but have an FAA Corsair IV (FG-1D) to do as well. That one will be quick though.

 

[ccheese]

This GB is going to be a vacation for me. I do not have anything in my stash that would qualify, so I am going to sit this one out and watch as the rest of the "forum flock" do their best. My stash is smaller than most, only 16 kits, half of which are either WW-I or pre WW-II.

I'll be watching (you).... reminds me of a song...

Charles

 

[tigerdriver]

Seems like half my stash qualifies for this .

As I said in the other thread, a 1/48 Beaufighter will be on the bench from me . If that goes well ( well better than the eduard dora lol ) then I have a Typhoon I would like to get to as well

 

[A4K]

Like I said on the other thread, ALOT of qualifiers for this. Had thought to go a Mistel 1 or S3, but currently tossing up between the Lincoln conversion, Fw 200, and Do 217K-2.... (do love the Dorniers!)

 

[dneid]

This looks like the incentive to get one of the Tamiya Mossies off the shelf. I would take a stab at the 1/24th Airfix Mossie. I am just not sure I can complete that beast in the requisite time frame AND keep the Dora moving forward. Work and a stumble, fall, lurch, crunch thing necessitated a restart of the D-9.
Dale

 

[N4521U]

It's a 1/72 Hasegawa Lancascter for me. My wife's, family friends son, Kevin Waight. Flt Sgt and Navigator from New South Wales here in Australia. PO*J was lost before the yellow border was painted around the red code. Don't have a photo of EE143 and have been looking everywhere. Gonna have to use everything I've learned on here for this one.

Kevin attended East Maitland Boys' High School and Newcastle Technical College. He was a keen tennis player and swimmer.
Kevin enlisted in World War II and was an apprentice Electrical Fitter with Maitland Council at the time. He served as a navigator and Flight Sergeant in the 467 Squadron of the RAAF. He was reported missing, presumed dead in France while flying in a Lancaster Mk III, and the target was Lille. He has a memorial in the Lille Cemetery Grave B-15.

The side code was PO*J, same squadron as the famous Lancaster PO*S for sugar. I have a photo of Kevin. His family home was the gathering place for the neighborhood children for years after the war. My wife Annie, thought of them as her grandparents and was very close to them. So this one is for Annie.

 

[rochie]

pulled the Hs 129 B3 out of the stash earlier today to have a look at it before this build starts !!!!

 

[N4521U]

Anyone here have any idea how I can find the aircraft code for this Beaufort? 47 Sqn acquired planes from 42 Sqn, I just wonder if the codes were ever changed before HJD's action and crash?

Beaufort DE115 - 47SQN RAF ‐ GITSHAM, Stewart Burton (Flight Sergeant) 407929 (Observer) RAAF / Flying Officer DAVIDSON, Haraldur Johannes (Pilot) J/6402 RCAF / Sergeant PUGH, Sydney Ronald Maldwyn (Wireless Operator / Air Gunner) 1117286 RAF // Pilot Officer T.H. Jones (Wireless Operator / Air Gunner) 114893 RAF ‐ POW (only survivor)

Summary:26th October 1942, operation codenamed ˜TT' (Taranto to Tobruk)
Beaufort DE115 piloted by FO Davidson, was in a formation of 8 Beauforts of 47 Sqn RAF, which left Gianaclis to strike against an enemy convoy of 2 motor vessels, a tanker and four destroyers nearing Tobruk. Bisleys and Beaufighters escorted the above formation. The target convoy was seen at 32.20N 23.42E. The Beauforts carried out a torpedo attack and the Bisleys a low level bombing attack on the convoy. After carrying out the torpedo attack on a merchant vessel, Beaufort DE 115 is believed to have crashed beside it. DE 115 did not return to base. In a report by PO Jones, the only survivor of DE115, he stated "the aircraft sank immediately after hitting the sea, breaking up at the rear as it did so I surfaced a few minutes later, and Sgt Pugh surfaced just after him. Sgt Pugh died before being picked up".

Thanks, Bill

 

[Airframes]

47 Squadron codes were 'KU'. An example is KU-S, serial number DE118. Code letters would normally have been changed from 42 squadron's 'AW' to 47 Sqn 'KU'.
Records show both squadrons with the Beaufort at similar times, so any transfer is likely to have been a re-issue, possibly after repair or deep service.
I haven't been able to find an individual code letter for DE115. Unless it's recorded in the log books of the crew, or the Squadron ORB, or if a photo exists, it's unlikely to be found.

 

[N4521U]

Thanks for that, again, Terry. A wealth of knowledge. I'll have to see if I have anything with KU on it.
It would be a streeeeeeetch to do Two multi engine planes for this build. But then I have never claimed to be anything near That smart. And it would have to be 1/72nd as well.

 

[Airframes]

There's a 1/48th scale Beuafort due out this year Bill, think it's coming from Special Hobby, but not sure of the release date. I'll have a sort through my stuff and see if i can find a photo from the squadron.

 

[N4521U]

Oh man, I don't have room for a 1/48th. All my multis are gonna be 1/72nd. Thanks anyway mate.

BTW, this tape thing isn't working, the paint chipped off cutting strips. I will now try a little scuffing and not wait for a Total dry before flexing it. It'll come around.

 

[parsifal]

I dont have anything in my stash that fits. I was tossing up the following possibilities


1) Swordfish of some description
2) Beaufort, Beaufighter or Mosquito in RAAF colours
3) Something from the EF, maybe an IL-2, to make my wife happy

All of these i dont have, but should be able to get a copy fairly easily. Any suggestions of a good quality model for each of these suggestions. These would end up in my display case, so I would like a good model if possible.

This one I plan to do a basic no frills build on, but aiming for as high a finish as I can.

One that I was considering but doesnt really fit, but at least i have it....maybe a P-38 I suppose not acceptable, but hey worth asking....Ive got an old airfix 1/72 that was given to me a couple of years ago and havent really done anything with it. its a friend of my sons, and i know he would be thrilled if i built it and gave it back to him. ....so whats the ruling? The only thing I can say in defence is that the P-38 was multi engined and could carry bombs....but not a heavy hitter.


all in 1/72 scale

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Depending on what the others say Michael, I pulled the following from Wilipedia which could give you the option to do your P-38, so just hang back and see what the thought are.

A little-known role of the P-38 in the European theater was that of fighter-bomber during the invasion of Normandy and the Allied advance across France into Germany. Assigned to the IX Tactical Air Command, the 370th Fighter Group and its P-38s initially flew missions from England, dive-bombing radar installations, enemy armor, troop concentrations, and flak towers. The 370th's group commander Howard F. Nichols and a squadron of his P-38 Lightnings attacked Field Marshal Günther von Kluge's headquarters in July 1944; Nichols himself skipped a 500 lb (227 kg) bomb through the front door. The 370th later operated from Cardonville France, flying ground attack missions against gun emplacements, troops, supply dumps and tanks near Saint-Lô in July and in the Falaise-Argentan area in August 1944. The 370th participated in ground attack missions across Europe until February 1945 when the unit changed over to the P-51 Mustang.